Sen. Monty Mason

County food and beverage tax. Eliminates the limit that restricts a county from imposing a food and beverage tax (commonly referred to as the meals tax) at a rate greater than four percent. The bill also removes the requirement that a county hold a referendum before imposing a meals tax. Under current law, the tax limit and referendum requirement apply to counties but not cities. This bill was incorporated into SB 588.

Virginia Minority Business Commission; report. Establishes a 13-member legislative Commission to promote the growthand competitiveness of Virginia minority-owned businesses. The bill provides that the Commission sunsets on July 1, 2023.

Celebrating the life of the Honorable Mary T.Christian.

Computer trespass; penalty. Expands the crime of computer trespass to provide that the prohibited actions that constitute computer trespass are criminalized if done through intentionally deceptive means and without authority and specifies that a computer hardware or software provider, an interactive computer service, or a telecommunications or cable operator does not have to provide notice of its activities to a computer user that a reasonable computer user should expect may occur. This bill was incorporated into SB 378.

Right to reproductive choice. Provides thatevery individual has a fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptionand that a pregnant person has a fundamental right to choose to carrya pregnancy to term, give birth to a child, or terminate a pregnancy.The bill states that the Commonwealth shall not, in the regulationor provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information, denyor interfere with an individual's fundamental rights, including individualsunder state control or supervision. The bill states that any stateor local official who is charged with violating provisions of thissection shall be subject to an action in federal or state court forinjunctive relief and damages. Such action may be brought by any person or entity that may be aggrieved by such official's actions.

Records of financial institutions; reimbursementof costs for production. Provides that a financial institutionthat is asked to provide records related to a customer of the financialinstitution pursuant to a court proceeding shall be reimbursed bythe requesting party for the reasonably necessary and directly incurredcosts for the production of such records.

Protective orders on behalf of incapacitatedpersons. Allows an employee of a local department of social services(local department) to petition a court on behalf of an incapacitatedperson for a preliminary protective order in cases of family abuseor non-family abuse. If the court finds by a preponderance of theevidence that the person is an incapacitated person and lacks thecapacity to file such petition for himself, the court shall granta guardian ad litem to represent the interests of the incapacitatedperson and may issue an order granting the preliminary protectiveorder if other conditions required for the issuance of a preliminaryprotective order are met. The bill allows the employee of a localdepartment who filed the petition to testify on behalf of the incapacitatedperson at any hearing for the preliminary protective order and atthe full hearing on the petition. At the full hearing on the petition, the court may issue a protective order for a specified period oftime, up to a maximum of two years, if the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the employee of a local department who filedthe petition has proven the allegation of abuse or that the incapacitatedperson has been subjected to an act of violence, force, or threat.

Commending Mission BBQ.

Commending the Garden Club of Virginia.

Constitution of the United States; Equal RightsAmendment. Ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitutionof the United States that was proposed by Congress in 1972.